The art is replete with various fixtures adapted for one or more tools and arranged for cutting of circles or other arcuate shapes. While it is difficult to categorize all such fixtures, it is believed accurate to state that they suffer from a one or more of the following deficiencies, with individual ones of the deficiencies being more or less prominent in any particular one of the prior art configurations, (1) limited flexibility in the configuration of the workpiece in that many require the workpiece to be precut to the approximate size or notched to about the desired radius before circle cutting can begin; (2) unwanted complexibility in setting the device to cut a particular circle or curve; (3) the inability to use the device with a variety of tools such as saws and sanders; (4) complexity which clutters the area of the workpiece and its support to prevent the desired ready access to the workpiece either by manual intervention or by means of automatic equipment for controlling the workpiece; and (5) operational complexity in that if a fairly rigorous protocol is not followed it is difficult to generate the desired circles or curves, in other words, a significant lack of ease of operation which results in a high reject rate.
It would be desirable to provide a fixture for cutting circles or other defined curves which is readily adaptable to the home workshop and at the same time sufficiently reliable and accurate to provide the necessary robustness to function in a commercial workshop or industrial environment. It is not seen that a fixture is available which provides both the simplicity and economy affording ease of use and affordability to the hobby workshop as well as the functional integrity which would allow repeated use of the device in a commercial environment.